A tourist plane operated by Aerodiana crashed just outside the city of Nazca in Peru, killing all 13 people on board during a sightseeing flight over the Nazca Lines, one of the country's most popular attractions. The aircraft was on a tour of the ancient desert markings, which are so large that they are normally viewed from the air.
Aerodiana broke its silence after the accident with a statement extending heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. The statement marked the company's first public response to the crash, which took place as the aircraft was on a viewing flight over the Nazca Lines. The company's statement addressed the families of the 13 victims.
The dead included 11 European tourists. The plane was on a Nazca Lines viewing flight when it went down near the town, a route commonly used by visitors who travel to southern Peru to see the enormous figures carved into the desert floor. The route takes visitors over the plains where the lines are found.
The Nazca Lines are among Peru's most visited sites and are best appreciated from above. The giant geoglyphs stretch across the arid plain around Nazca and have made the area a center of archaeological tourism. Scenic flights are a central part of that tourism, and the crash occurred on one of those tours.
Aerodiana's statement did not mention a cause for the crash. The airline expressed sympathy for the families and friends of the 13 people who died. The company did not provide additional details, and its first public message focused on condolence.
The plane came down outside the city of Nazca, on the edge of the desert region that holds the lines. The crash site sits in the dry, open terrain that makes the lines so visible from the air. All 13 people on board were killed in the crash.
The crash is a significant loss for the Nazca tourism sector, which relies on the steady flow of travelers coming to see the lines. Sightseeing flights over the Nazca Lines are a long-established part of travel in Peru, and the flight that crashed was one of those tours. The site is one of the most recognized archaeological destinations in Peru, and aerial tours are a major part of the visitor experience in the area.
Further details about the flight and the circumstances of the crash were not immediately available in the airline's response. For now, Aerodiana's public message centered on condolence for the people killed and their families.
